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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What concerns Margo about how everyone lives?

2. Who is Lacey?

3. Into what does Q say Margo turns herself?

4. For what do Radar, Ben and Q wait?

5. What does Margo buy at Wal-Mart?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Margo give Q to do with as he likes?

2. How do Margo and Q break into Sea World and what do they do there?

3. What does the prologue say about miracles?

4. Who questions Q about Margo's disappearance?

5. What is the parting scene like between Margo and Q at the end of the night?

6. What does Margo ask Q when they are driving around, and where do they go?

7. How does Q handle the problems with the school bullies?

8. Why are things chaotic at school and what are a couple incidents that happen as a result?

9. What does Margo do to Lacey?

10. Who visits Q near midnight one night and what does she want?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Many people were running from their problems, such as jobs they hated, marriages which were bad or escaping from relatives they did not like, by leaving for the gold fields. Many realized very quickly that no matter how far they ran their character flaws were always there. Margo has run from her problems but then finds she must face the central cause of his problems, herself.

1. Running from problems by going somewhere else is called a "geographic cure." Discuss what do you think this means.

2. Do you believe taking the geographic cure is a good idea or a bad idea? Why or why not? Could it be different depending on the circumstance? How did running help Margo? How did it harm her?

3. Discuss two situations that might respond well to a geographic cure and two that wouldn't be helped with on. Does Margo's determination to leave home seem like a geographic cure? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

Paper Towns belongs to the young adult mystery genre. Discuss the following:

1. Define the literary term "genre" and give several examples of three other genres in addition to the young adult mystery genre.

2. Discuss two reasons why it might be useful to label a text by genre and two reasons it might be disadvantageous to label a text by genre.

3. What do you think is the difference between a young adult mystery and a historical novel?

Essay Topic 3

Choose one of the following to discuss:

1. Choose two significant symbols and trace and analyze their appearance in Paper Towns. Are these universal symbols? Would they be understood in any culture? Are there other symbols that would portray the same idea? What are they? Why do you think Green chooses the symbols he does?

2. Choose two important metaphors and trace and analyze their appearance in the novel. Are these universal metaphors? Would they be understood in any culture? Are there other metaphors that would portray the same idea? What are they? Why do you think Green chooses the metaphors she does?

3. Discuss Green's use (or lack ) of literary device (such as foreshadowing, clifthangers, deux ex machina, etc...), and how they add or detract from the story. Does Green use too many or too little literary techniques? State which of the five major elements of fiction the literary device is related to (style, character, plot, setting, theme).

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,228 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample